Buddy Beagle is normally a pretty calm little fellow — unless there’s a squirrel outside, then he has to bay and bark and try to get at it. There’s something about squirrels that sets him off. All the other dogs ignore squirrels, but will react similarly to free-ranging cats. Buddy also goes ballistic if I walk out the back door to go into the play yard.

He will throw himself at the bedroom window and make such an excited fuss and racket! Then he goes from window to window along the play yard side of the house to try and get the best view, all the while barooing at the top of his lungs. Sometimes he loses his bladder and leaves a trail of urine. Too much excitement for an old dog to handle!

To prevent such accidents: and damage to windows, window frames, walls, etc, I either take Buddy out with me or crate him. If I take him with me he walks around calmly and watches what I’m doing. No fuss, no bother. This is our preferred solution, but when I’m working with the outside foster dogs there is the chance that he will get hurt. Especially right now, while he’s got a 3″ long tear in his side stitched up and healing. It’s healing well, and I want to keep it that way.

If I crate him he makes a lot of noise for a while, then settles down. Usually. Sometimes he carries on until I return.

What’s odd is that if I go out the FRONT door — even if I get in the car and drive away, he pays no mind to me at all. It’s just when I’m going out to where “those other dogs” are that he goes ballistic. I think he’s being protective. Maybe that’s why he’s calm when he goes with me.

Today, when I went out to give Kringle and Lucy their morning yard time, I had to pull Buddy out of his snuggle bed to crate him. He was not pleased. I crated Callie too, because Cochise was sleeping in the bedroom and I didn’t want to close the door on him to protect the beds.

Callie is the sweetest, gentlest, most lovable gal you could ever want to meet. But when Buddy gets into one of his fits, it stirs everyone up. Then Josephine and sometimes Blondie Bear convince Callie to get rowdy with them and at least one dog bed will get torn and some stuffing pulled out. Blondie and Josie don’t normally damage things, just get rowdy. Unstuffing something is a Callie thing. So when there is any chance that the others will get wild and crazy, Callie goes to her room. She remains calm in there, even if the others get crazy. This is fine with her: she often spends time in there even when she doesn’t have to.

Later I needed to go back outside to do some gardening. Callie was still snoozing in her crate from the last time. The door was open, but she was happy where she was. I left her that way.

I went back to pull Buddy out of his snuggle bed and crate him again. He opened his eyes at my approach but kept his head down and gave me one of his nose-grumble things, clearly saying, “I don’t want to. I’ll be good. Please?” So I said, “Okay. I’ll try it. But if you start going ballistic …” I shook a finger at him and went outside.

I slowed down as I came around the back of the house, fully expecting Buddy to throw himself at the bedroom window, baying and barking, requiring that I go back inside and secure him.

He didn’t. Quiet as a mouse!

Blondie, Josephine and I performed the garden chores and went back inside to fix lunch. Buddy was still curled up in his bed, “See, told you I’d be good.”

Maybe we’re making progress with our ballistic beagle.